Ecological Archives E094-084-D1
D. A. Kelt, P. L. Meserve, J. R. Gutiérrez, W. Bryan Milstead, M. A. Previtali. 2013. Long-term monitoring of mammals in the face of biotic and abiotic influences at a semiarid site in north-central Chile. Ecology 94:977. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/12-1811.1
Fray Jorge Precipitation Metadata
Introduction
Most precipitation at Fray Jorge occurs as rain, although heavy coastal fog (locally called “camanchaca”) results in substantial groundwater recharge (López-Cortés and López 2004). This metadata file describes the field data collection and data structure for the precipitation data set. Until 1998 rainfall was recorded at an entrance station located approximately 3.5 km ENE of our study site. Subsequent measurements have been collected from a weather station located at our study grids In the Quebrada de las Vacas (See main metadata file metadata.php. ).
Metadata
Class I. Data set descriptors
A. Data set identity:
Title: Long-term monitoring in the face of biotic and abiotic influences at a semiarid site in north-central Chile.
B. Data set identification code:
C. Data set description
Current Principal Investigators:
Julio R. Gutiérrez, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
Peter L. Meserve, Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115 USA
Douglas A. Kelt, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616 USA
Abstract: The data set provides rainfall over a 16-year period (1989–2005) from the Bosque Fray Jorge National Park. From 1989–1998, only annual rainfall is available. In 1998 we began recording monthly rainfall. Because Fray Jorge is subjected to few rainfall events in most years the distribution of such events is strongly right-skewed. Across 10 years (120 months), 17 months yielded no recorded rainfall, and 76 yielded <3 mm. Extreme rainfall months occurred in June 2000 (139.2 mm), July 2001 (121.4 mm), and June 2002 (123.6 mm).
D. Key words: Chile; El Niño / Southern Oscillation; LTREB data; precipitation, semi-arid zone.
Class II. Research origin descriptors
A. Overall project description
Identity: Long-term rainfall monitoring in Bosque Fray Jorge National Park, Chile.
Originators: See main metadata file metadata.php.
Period of Study: 1989–2005
Objectives: To quantify and characterize rainfall in a semiarid system known to be highly responsive to water, a limiting resource.
Sources of funding: See main metadata file metadata.php.
B. Specific subproject description
1. Site description: Bosque Fray Jorge National Park is a 10,000 ha Biosphere Reserve on the coast of Chile’s north-central semiarid zone. The park contains semiarid thorn scrub vegetation and remnant fog forests (on coastal hills) that have been protected from grazing and disturbance since 1941. The thorn scrub includes spiny drought-deciduous and evergreen shrubs and understory herbs on a primarily sandy substrate.
Rainfall data from 1989 to 1998 was collected by park personnel from a weather station located at an entrance station approximately 3.5 km from the study site; in 1998 we installed a weather station immediately adjacent to our study plots, and starting in 1999 data were downloaded every 1–3 months. Due to the small spatial-scale of the research area and the spatial scale of the typical precipitation event, this is the only weather station for the site (See Fray Jorge Master Metadata.docx, Fig. 1 for location).
2. Data Collection Period, Frequency: From 1989 through 1998 precipitation was recorded monthly but summarized annually (monthly data were not retained). From 1999 through 2005 data were recorded on a monthly basis.
3. Research Methods
Field: 1989–1998: Between 1989 and 1998 precipitation data was collected from a rain gauge located close to the entrance to the park (ca. 3.5 km from the experimental site) but these data were summarized annually.
1999–2005: In 1998 we installed an automatic weather station (Texas Instruments TR-525M; see www.ceazamet.cl for further details on meteorological records) at the experimental site and in 1999 we began recording rainfall at monthly intervals.
Class III. DATA SET STATUS AND ACCESSIBILITY
A. Status
Latest Update: December 2005
Latest Archive date: December 2005
Metadata status: The metadata are complete and up to date.
Data verification: Prior to 1999 data were collected after rainfall events. Since our automatic station was installed we have collected data every 1–3 months. Manual rain gauges are available for regional comparisons, but no independent verification exists at our study site.
B. Accessibility
Storage location and medium: (Ecological Society of America data archives [Ecological Archives], URL published in each issue of its journals). Original data files reside with Julio R Gutiérrez at the Universidad de La Serena.
Contact person: Julio R. Gutiérrez, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena Chile. E-mail: jgutierr@userena.cl.
Copyright restrictions: None.
Proprietary restrictions: We impose no proprietary restrictions on these data, but we do request that authors pursuing efforts with these data communicate with us in advance to prevent redundant efforts. Additionally, we request that authors of publications using these data notify Julio R. Gutiérrez (contact information above) of publication of their study. This helps us to document the scientific value and use of these data and will contribute to our annual reporting to the National Science Foundation.
Costs: None.
Class IV. DATA STRUCTURAL DESCRIPTORS
1989–2005 PRECIPITATION DATA
A. Data Set File
Identity: Fray_Jorge_Precipitation_1989-2005.csv
Size: 95 rows (including header), 2 kilobytes.
Format and storage mode: ASCII text, comma delimited. No compression scheme used.
Header information: The first row of the file contains the variable names below.
Alphanumeric attributes: Mixed.
B. Variable information
Table 1. Column information for Fray_Jorge_Precipitation_1989-2005.csv.
Variable name
Variable definition
Variable codes, definitions, and notes
Year
Year data collected
1989–2005
Month
Month data collected
Jan, Feb, Mar, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec; “.” = not available
Monthly Ppt
Precipitation recorded per month when available. “n/a” = monthly data not available.
Measurement unit: millimeters.
Annual Ppt
Precipitation recorded per year.
Measurement unit: millimeters.
Class V. Supplemental descriptors
A. Publications using the data set: See main metadata file metadata.php.
Literature cited
López-Cortés, F., and D. López. 2004. Antecedentes bioclimáticos del Parque Nacional Bosque Fray Jorge. Pages 45–60 in F. A. Squeo, J. R. Gutiérrez., and I. R. Hernández, editors. Historia Natural Historia Natural del Parque Nacional Bosque Fray Jorge. Ediciones Universidad de Chile, La Serena, Chile (available at http://www.biouls.cl/lfrayjorge/libro.htm).